VIDA Blog

Details: Members will participate in a 2 hour program that includes 4 classes (starting in the spin studio, abs, group fitness VIDA Body class, and finish with a yoga class in the inner fitness studio). All participants who complete all 4 classes will receive 15% off a spa service and will be entered in a drawing: 1st Place – $75 Gift Card and a VIDA t-shirt, 2nd Place – $50 Gift Card and a VIDA t-shirt, 3rd Place – $25 Gift Card and a VIDA t-shirt.

On Saturday, November 23rd VIDA Fitness City Vista & Verizon had their Inaugural Turkey Gut Buster event this morning from 10AM-12PM. We had lots of attendees and great involvement from VIDA Fitness Preferred Partners like Dangerously Delicious Pies – Chinatown and Chinatown Coffee Company. Thanks to everyone who came out and made this a great event!

VIDA members and their guests came together for a fun pre-holiday workout and one-mile fun run followed by brunch at VIDA Fitness Verizon Center!

Participants in the Inaugural Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Gut-Buster Workout contributed either two cans of food or a small cash donation, which was given to a local shelter.

We recently spent some time with super athlete and international fitness leader, Emory Land. Emory currently oversees and directs VIDA Fitness U Street in Washington, DC, and has completed fifty triathlons, more than a dozen marathons, and inspires many to achieve their maximum training potential and success as competitors. You might find this accomplished and distinguished athlete on a bike, on a trail run, or in the water.

By Erik Strouse, VIDA Fitness Trainer

VIDA Fitness members, it’s that time of year again! EATING SEASON… Er, I mean The Holiday Season! Let’s deal with reality here, and know that even though this is dubbed the Holiday Season, it really means tons of eating. And, well, sugar is the number one ingredient in everything delicious starting in October and ending in January. Sugar not only leads to weight gain, but it is also leads to many, many serious and long term health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and… laziness. Inactivity! Lethargy! Oh my!

Here’s the deal, we all know we shouldn’t eat certain foods, and we all know we exercise is great for us. That’s why you’re members here at VIDA Fitness. Most of us try to do the right thing by controlling our food intake and heading to that VIDA Body, Power Yoga, or Cycle class. But where we often fail when trying to maintain these habits is how we go about telling ourselves to do it! That’s right! The way you tell yourself to control that food intake or head to your local VIDA can make or break your success.

Lets look at food intake first. By a show of hands, who can say that they’ve told themselves that they can’t have that holiday deliciousness at some point during the holidays? YOU. ME. EVERYONE! We often tell ourselves that “we can’t have that deliciousness” or that “we are not allowed to have that deliciousness because we are on a diet”. This is incredibly negative, and is posturing you against yourself. What I mean is you are telling yourself, with force, that you cannot do something that you actually have the desire to do. We all know how that works, because as kids, we all did something we were told not to do! Or, we resented the messenger. This is negative reinforcement of something that is supposed to be positive. Try this instead: tell yourself “I don’t need that deliciousness today.” Ultimately, you do not. Your body does not need the empty calories, nor does it contribute to your ultimate goal.

What about working out. Again, we all know that it’s great for us to do daily, especially this time of year when the guilty pleasures are brandished in front of us like we won’t see food again for an eternity. When you are headed to the gym, you might find yourself saying things like “I have to go to the gym today,” or “Ugh, all that food is making this workout necessary!” It is fact that working out is great for us, so why should we make it a necessity dictated by something negative? Try saying this to keep it nothing but positive: “I really want to go to the gym today,” or “I can’t wait to go to VIDA Rx!” Take control of that desire because you really want to.

At the end of the day, the more you positively spin some of these behaviors, the more they will become an enjoyable experience for you. The more you enjoy eating well and working out, the more you will adhere to them over your lifetime. Seriously, the next time you reach for that extra cookie, say out loud “I don’t need this,” and know that this statement is a valid fact! And the next time you go to workout with your trainer or to take a VIDA Fitness class, say out loud, “I can’t wait to workout today!” Positively spin your life habits. You and your body won’t regret it, and it will ultimately become lifelong over the course of your longer, more active life.

Here at VIDA we’re committed to promoting a healthier planet in more ways than one. We value and recognize the importance of being an environmentally friendly partner in our community, and reducing our carbon footprint to increase long-term sustainability. Here’s a list of our top twelve eco-friendly efforts from our citywide fitness centers.

1. VIDA is powered by wind energy. Wind is a clean and renewable energy source. Electricity generated by wind turbines won’t dirty the air we breathe or emit pollutants like other energy sources-that means less smog, less acid rain, and fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Because it is a clean energy source, wind energy reduces costs associated with air pollution-both healthcare and environmental costs.

2. VIDA has made the switch to LED lighting, which helps contribute to our global need to save energy and has a positive impact on energy prices, emissions targets, and legislation.

3. VIDA uses recycled rubber flooring in all of our clubs. Products made from recycled rubber materials instead of virgin or new materials conserve our natural resources, use less energy in production, create far less air & water pollution, and prevent tires from ending up in landfills.

4. VIDA is making the switch to paperless membership agreements and we are placing the vast majority of our informational materials online so that they are solely available in electronic format.

5. VIDA has installed bottle-filler attachments to the water fountains in all of our clubs. Bottle-fillers reduce the need to purchase disposable plastic water bottles and encourage both members & staff to bring a reusable bottle for hydration.

6. VIDA is progressively trading out some of our existing treadmills for Woodway treadmills, which use far less energy and contain recycled rubber materials.

7. VIDA is progressively switching to eco-friendly (“green”) cleaning products and laundry solutions. These products are non-aerosol and provide a long-lasting, positive effect on the environment. The production, use, and disposal of environmentally unfriendly products create pollution, groundwater contamination, and other threats to the ecosystem. Because eco-friendly products are less harsh and oftentimes contain no dangerous chemicals or toxic additives, they are the perfect option for those with sensitive skin, small children, or pets.

8. VIDA is now purchasing more shower and workout towels to have on-hand, which allows us to utilize more efficient wash cycles. By laundering only full loads of towels, we reduce the number of loads & amount of water used without having a shortage of towels for our members.

9. VIDA members contribute $2 per month towards our Eco-Friendly Investment in the environment. The cost of these initiatives greatly exceeds the $2 per month contribution, but it does allow VIDA to offset some of our costs so that we may invest in future eco-friendly initiatives.

12. VIDA has partnered with One Earth Corporation to coordinate our Recycling Programs. Members and employees are able to dispose of recyclable materials in receptacles placed throughout the facility. New materials produced from these recyclables results in 73% less air pollutants and 61% less process water.

Join Team VIDA Fitness for the Veteran’s Day 10k on November 10th at 8:00am. It’s $35 for the 10k run and $20 for the 2.5mile walk and you’ll need to sign up as an individual. On race day we will meet at the corner of 15th and Independence Ave SW at 7:30a to take a team photo, but keep in mind that there will be tons of people and you should expect delays getting over there. The start line appears to be at the corner of Independence and Ohio Drive and the closest metro is the Smithsonian Metro. Here’s the link to sign up. Hope to see you out there!